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Notable Mets trades

Notable Mets trades

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By Marty Noble
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MLB.com |

Since their inception in 1962, the Mets have made numerous trades, dealing the likes of Hall of Famers Nolan Ryan and Tom Seaver, while acquiring legends like Keith Hernandez, Gary Carter and Mike Piazza.

Staub's bat and extraordinary starting pitching had the Mets in first place on June 16 that year. A broken bone in his hand cost Staub three months and the Mets 15 games in the standings. But the following season, Staub was a critical figure in the Mets' improbable "Ya Gotta Believe" rush to the World Series.

Without the other cogs of the Big Red Machine around him, Foster was merely a shell of the run producer he had been in Cincinnati. By the time the Mets reached the World Series in 1986, he had been released mostly because of comments he had made. But he had already lost his job as a regular left fielder.

June 15, 1983: Acquired Keith Hernandez from the Cardinals for Neil Allen and Rick Ownbey.

No trade the Mets have made has been a greater benefit to the franchise. The team began to change in the second half of 1983, and by the end of 1984, the Mets were a legitimate contender. Hernandez provided savvy, energy, a Gold Glove and a bat no opponent wanted to see with a runner on second base in a tight game. The first six years of a seven-season sequence of success coincided with his Mets tour.

Carter's right-handed run production and catching made the Mets a team of dominating talent. Their presence in the 1986 World Series and 1988 National League Championship Series are linked directly to the influence of Carter, Hernandez, Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden.

An injury to Gooden and the Mets' desperate need to return to the postseason after their disappointing loss in the '88 playoffs prompted the trade for Viola who produced a 38-32 record in 82 starts in 2 1/2 seasons with the Mets. He never pitched in the postseason with New York.

Delgado's left-handed power and strong April prompted opponents to pitch to Carlos Beltran and changed the dynamic of the Mets order. Delgado might have been the MVP of the Mets' '06 postseason -- had it continued.

Marty Noble is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.